Nuclear Freeze Talks Must Not Last Too Long - Iran

Reuters: Iran is prepared to keep uranium enrichment activities frozen as long as nuclear negotiations continue with the EU, but those talks should not last too long, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Hassan Rohani said Tuesday. "The length of the suspension will only be for the length of the negotiations with the Europeans and the length of negotiations must be rational and not too long," Rohani told a news conference. Reuters

TEHRAN - Iran is prepared to keep uranium enrichment activities frozen as long as nuclear negotiations continue with the EU, but those talks should not last too long, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Hassan Rohani said Tuesday.

"The length of the suspension will only be for the length of the negotiations with the Europeans and the length of negotiations must be rational and not too long," Rohani told a news conference.

"We're talking about months, not years," he added.

Iran, which insists its nuclear program is solely for electricity generation, Monday escaped possible U.N. sanctions over its nuclear program after agreeing to freeze all activities which could be used to make bomb-grade material.

The European Union hopes to persuade Iran to make the suspension permanent by offering Iran trade and other incentives. But Tehran has said it will never give up what it considers its right to develop a fully-fledged nuclear program from uranium mines to atomic power reactors.

Washington has expressed skepticism that Iran will stick to its commitments with the EU and says it reserves the right to take Iran's case to the U.N. Security Council on its own.

"Despite the U.S. propaganda Iran has not put aside its right to the (nuclear) fuel cycle and it never will do," Rohani said. "If we had wanted to make a nuclear bomb we would have made one in the last 20 years," he added.